Method of preparing a peat-containing fertilizer



Nov. 5, 1935. w. LIEHR ET AL 2,019,824

METHOD OF PREPARING FEAT CONTAINING FERTILIZER Filed Nov. 4,1932

g Fly. Z.

E? Mrz: 5

Patented Nov. 5, 15935` UNITED STATES PAT 1; NTI i FFICE Memor) 'or rnrrAmNG A raarcoNrmNlNo rra'rlmznn Werner Liehr, Poggenhagen, near Neustadt am litubenberge, and Eduard Dycixerhoi, Schloss Blumenau, near Wunstorf Germany; said Lielnr assigner to said lyckerhofl amusante November 4, i932, serial No. esisto lin Germany December 9, 193i s claims. (ci. i1- 9) This invention relates to the use of. peat in plant cultivation and has for its object to provide an improved material containing peat for the promotion of plant cultivation. v

5 Peat has already been frequently employed .15 generally they can only he prepared on the spot shortly before use.- it is lrnown to compress a mixture of peat mould and fertilizers into balls,

but this form is not convenient for long Stor Y age or for transport in large quantities.'

the present invention a mixture of dry peat (not raw peaty material) and plant fertilizing, protecting or the like material is compressed at a relatively high pressure, and preferably the mixture isrcompressed into small bodies of suitable shape such as blocks, briquettes, dice, plates, flakes, laminae small balls etc. relatively high pressure causes a colloidal chemical change toytake place in the peat material.

The relatively yhigh pressure, 13G-150 ,kg/cm2 for instance causes the peat constituent oi the mixture to undergo a surprising and unexpected alteration, the humus constituentsof the peat which normally are insoluble in water becoming soluble. This of course is nothing less than the conversion of the peat material into useful cultivating humus. This new property of the product, therefore, now permits the plant to benedt fully by the nutriment contained in soil treated with the product.

In the form of small bodies such as hereinhefore referred to the product readily gives up its nutriment to the roots of plants after treatment Vwith water. The specific range of pressures referred to has been given solely hy way of example, the in vention not being limited to the stated range.

In accordance with a preferred` embodiment ot In accordance with the principal feature of' The use of av emission oi liquids or solutions. A suitable process of treatment for this purpose is described in U. S. Patent specication No. 1,- 4463388 dated February 27, i923. Under the action of high pressure the fertilizer. will enter 5,; the water-resisting peat and. ordinary peatfto the same extent. The fertilizer is thusl stored up with the result that the material mixed with the soil contains a reserve of iertilizing material, which is gradually given up. lo The fertilizer taken up .by ordinaryv peat is immediately available for use, whereas the` Waterresisting peat retains the fertilizer, which has been pressed into it under high pressure, for a longer time owing to the moisture in the soil is taking longer to penetrate-'into this waterwresist- 4ing peat and dissolve the fertilizer, so that the latter can be absorbed hy the plant.

in employing the two dinerent. kinds oi peat in this manner a 4cori-esponc'iingly larger duantiso ty of fertilizer or other nutritious material or e. stronger concentration. ot this material may be adopted; since there is'no risk that the material will be supplied to the plant all at once, too quickly or in too great a quantity, as the emisas sion of the fertilizingo or other nutritious maft/erial is considerably retarded owing to the addition of the water-resisting peat, so that an even distribution over a long period of 'fiar is ensured. The mild and long continuedactlon, do to which value is attached in 'natural fertilization, is therefore reliably obtained and even iiicreased in this manner and the action can evidently be regulated by varying the proportion of water-resisting peat added. ,as Tests have `shown conclusively that in this manner as much as five times the amount of nitrogen which is usually regarded as the maximum can be provided for the principal cultivated plants, without ha to the latter. The dii process also results in a rar better distribution of the action of the fertilizer than has hitherto been the case. g

A particular advantage of the invention is the great decrease in volume which occurs when the mixture of peat and fertilizer is compressed under high Lpressure, by rolling or othese, into briquettes, dice, or other convenient forms. These compact and durable bodies are suitable for@ transport and storage over relatively long periods and the 'material' can be prepared for immediate use simply by' adding Water and mixing it into the soil. In such forms moreover the material, unlike the balls referred to, is suitablefor use u in agriculture and forestry on 'account of its small bulk. l

The material may if desired be mixed into the soil in a dry state, in the form of plates (akes for instance) or small balls, or in any other suitable form. In this case the particles of the material which are in a highly compressed state will expand considerably owing to the moisture in the soil, with the result that the latter will be loosened considerably.

As regards the fertilizers or nutritious substances natural or articial fertilizers of all kinds, particularly in the. form of aqueous solutions may be employed. Furthermore, such substances may be added as will ward oi or destroy any animal or vegetable action which may be harmful to the plant, While other materials ,containing favourable soil bacteria or which promote the activity of the soil bacteria may also be added. Any substance, therefore, which will promoteplant cultivation in some Way may be mixed with the peat, either alone or together with other such substances. In all cases the highly absorbent nature of the peat is particularly favourable to the use of these substances.

The addition to or' admixture with the dry peat of fertilizers in the form of aqueous solutions may be effected 'in various ways, the fertilizer being for example applied to the dry peaty mass in a finely-divided form by means of a spray.

The water-resisting peat may also be added subsequently, the ordinary peat and vfertilizers being for instance rst subjected to high pressure, the water-resisting peat then added and the mixture if desired then compressed againlto such an extent only that the mixture willcohere.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the inyvention adds considerably to the usefulness of peat in plant cultivation; This applies particularly to the new convenient forms in which the compressed peat mixture may be put on the market, in which forms it is very convenient for transport and storage, taking up very little space.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated some examples of the forms in which the product may be prepared.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 illustrates a die or briquette of convenient shape. Such bodies can be packed and distributed singly or in quantities, in suitable packages.

Figure 2 illustrates a plate of the material dlvided by grooves or recesses like a cake of chocolate,v the various portions being readily broken o V Figure 3 illustrates a small egg-shaped body which may be' formed by pressing or rolling the material.

r sure of to 150 kg/cm.

Figure 4 illustrates a pile-of sheets such as may be produced by rolling the material under pres. sure and which can be placed on the market in any desired quantity, size and shape in any suitable packing. 5

In all of these forms division before use may be simplified by suitably profiling or indenting the pressed or rolled briquette or plate.

The new material may also be supplied in the form of small sheets or flakes as .illustrated in 10 Figure 5, or in the form of small balls or granules as illustrated in Figure 6. In such forms the material may be distributed in any suitable packing (sacks, bags, small boxes, cartons, etc.) and can be mixed directly with the soil as required 15 without any previous addition of moisture.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent iszl. A process for the production of a material 20 for promoting plant cultivation which consists in preparing a mixture including dry peat and plant fertilizing material, and subjecting said mixture to a pressure not less than 130 kg/cm2 andsuiiiciently high to cause a colloidal change in the 25 peat Without the application of external heat.

2. A process for the production of a material for promoting plant cultivation which consists in subjecting a mixture of dry peat and plantl fertilizing material in a cold condition to a pres sure of at least 130 kg/cm2 causing a colloidal chemical change in the peat.

3. A process for the production of a material for promoting plant cultivation which consists in subjecting a mixture of dry peat and plant fertilizing material to a pressure of 130 to 150 kg/cm2 sucient to cause a colloidal chemical' change in the peat without the application of external y heat.

vin subjecting a mixture of dry peat, water resisting peat and plant fertilizing material in a cold condition to a pressure of at least 130 kg/cm2. 45 5. A process for the production of a. material for promoting plant cultivation which consists in subjecting a. mixture of dry peat, Water resisting peat and a liquid fertlizing material to a pres- 50 6. A process for the production of a material for promoting plant cultivation which consists f in compressing a mixture containing dry peat and plant fertilizing material into relatively small bodies by the application of a pressure of 55 130 to 150 kg/cm2 in a cold condition.

WERNER LIEHR. EDUARD DYCKERHOFF. V 

